What is God’s will?
In the middle chapters (7,8, and 9) of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul talks about the freedom that believers have in Christ and honoring Jesus in all that they do. These two concepts can feel at odds with one another and leave us confused. Am I truly free to make a decision on marriage, or does God have a specific will for me in that area? What about jobs, colleges, and big life purchases like houses or cars? Sometimes we look for signs or dramatic confirmations for God to lead us into his will in these areas. And, sometimes God does just that. More often than not, God has permitted us the freedom to make wise decisions that honor him about these matters. The question of being in God’s will is not new.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, they did so in an environment that was publicly saturated with prayer. That is, they knew what prayer was and had seen example after example by religious men far more pious than they were. But in Jesus, they heard and experienced a prayer life that was so genuine, real, and vulnerable that they needed to know his secret. Famously, we know what Jesus teaches them as the Lord’s prayer. And in it, there is a curious line, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus asks for the Father’s will to be done, but what is the Father’s will? How can we know it so that we can know if it has been done on earth as it is in heaven?
Let’s ask the question again: have you ever found yourself wondering about what God’s will was for a certain situation or over your life in general? Have you ever questioned whether you were walking in God’s will or apart from it? These are difficult moments and pose hard questions for our faith journey with Jesus.
The 14th-century Flemish theologian John Ruusbroec wrestled with these same questions and came to understand that three things must be present in our lives to be aware of God’s will. Those three things are:
- An increasing light that brings clarity to the motives of the heart by experiencing God’s grace.
- A cleansing of my heart through the decreasing of my desires and an increase of God’s desires.
- A turning and tuning of my will to be unified with God’s heart.
How do we do this? Ruusbroec points us to look at the person of Jesus as our model and example. He says, “It is for this reason that God created heaven and earth and all that is in them, and it is likewise for this reason that he became a human being, taught us, lived for us, and himself became the way to this Unity. He died in the bond of love, ascended into heaven, and has opened up for us the same Unity through which we might possess eternal bliss.”
Profoundly, Ruusbroec reveals to us an important truth, that God wants us to be unified with him and to know his will. So much so that he made a way for us to experience that unity through Jesus. That unity is exactly what the disciples saw and heard in Jesus’ prayer life.
So, what’s the secret? To abide.
It’s what Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (Jn. 15:9-11) Abiding in Christ isn’t an occasional or momentary thing. The word abide is often translated as, remain. And that is a good word to describe what it means to abide. The more that we hold to Christ and stay (remain) with him, the more that his character and desires become our character and desires. This is the process of transformation and what Paul says we are to experience in the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). Or as Ruusbroec noted, my motives, my desires, and my will become conformed to Christ. This helps us to resolve the tension of asking, God’s will or my will? As I become more like Christ, I am routinely being led by the Spirit of God to think, act, and walk in the motivations of Christ. No, we do not become Christ, but we grow in likeness with him. So, should you buy that house, marry that person, or go to that college? All of a sudden, we experience the freedom we have in these matters by being conformed to Christ and needing to ask one essential question: Can I honor God in this choice? If it is yes, you are free to say yes or no to that thing. And if the answer is no to the honoring question, then we must say no to that choice. The key to knowing God’s will and being comfortable in the freedom that God gives is abiding (remaining) with Christ. The more time you spend with God, the more his will and desires become clear to you, and these decisions become less laborious.
But what do we do when we really feel stuck and confused about God’s will? Let’s ask these four questions.
- What is Biblically true?
- What does the Bible clearly say on this subject?
- What is naturally true? (That doesn’t contradict Biblical truth.)
- Do I have the time or money for this thing? Will it actually deliver on its promise? Does it strain my relationships or my emotional health?
- What do other believers think about it?
- When I ask another mature believer, do they hesitate or do they get excited?
- What am I hearing from the Lord on it?
- Has God given you a clear “yes” or “no” on the topic?
Here is the simple truth: being in God’s will means that my life is in alignment with God’s commands, desires, and I am joined in God’s working. The more that this is true of me, the easier it will be to discern God’s will.